Street-car



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. A. BRILL.

(No Model.)

STREET GAR.

Patented July 15 INVYEN-TOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. A. BRILL.

STREET OAR.

(No Model.)

Patented July 15, 1890.

3 t 6 6 h S s e B h S 3 m A 10 R B AT IS u (No Model.)

No. 432,115. Patented July 15, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. BRILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STREET-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 432,115, dated July 15,189 0.

Application filed April 27, 1889. SerialNo. 308,852. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. BRILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'inStreet-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to street-railway-car trucks of the formadapted to support or have mounted thereon electric motors, grips, oranalogous devices; and it has for its object to provide a truck-frame ofwhich the housings or pedestals for the axle-boxes form a component partof the truck-frame, which is wholly supported upon or suspended from theaxle-boxes, so that neither the frame, pedestals, nor appurtenancesmounted on the frame are subject to the vertical vibration ofthecar-body, and an easier-ridingcar-body and an easier-travelingrunning-gear and truck- :frame are provided, and which admits of easyand quick removal of any or all of the wheels and axle-boxes for repairsor replacement without necessitating the dismantling of the truck-frame,and also of corresponding removal of the truck-frame with the wheels andtheir boxes from a car-body for repairs to either of said parts forreplacement by a similarly-equipped truck-frame orforattachment to adifferent style of car-body.

My invention accordingly consists of the combinations, constructions,and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter described in thespecification, and pointed out in the claims;

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sideelevation of a car having truck-frame embodying my improvements. Fig. 2is a like view of the truckframe with axles, wheels, and axle-boxesremoved from the car. Fig. 3 is a like view of part of the car,truck-frame, and one of the axles and wheels, showing the axle withwheels and axle-boxes removed from the car or its truck-frame. Fig. atis a like View of same, showing the axle with wheels and boxes inposition on the truck-frame, and both said Figs. 3 and l drawn to anenlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is a similar View showing myiniprovements applied to a car havinga part representing the usual form of pedestals secured to the car-body.Fig. 6 is aperspective View showing forked or bifurcated end of axle-boxhousing or pedestal. Fig. '7 is a sectional view of same and part ofconnecting framebars therefor, showing more plainly a preferable mode ofconnection for said parts. Fig. 8 is a plan View of part of saidframeconnectingbars, showing theparallel or double bar form of same; andFig. 9 is an elevation of part of truck-frame, showing a modification ofconstruction of same.

A. represents the car; B, the axles, having "axle-boxes b and wheels Z)of any suitable form or construction.

0 represents the housings or pedestals for the axle-boxes b, which,housings or pedestals are not secured to the car-bodyA, but aresuspended from or supported upon the boxes b. Said pedestals are in theform of an inverted U, having top bar 0 and side wings or ends 0, whichextend down to or below the bottom of the axle -boxes .to embrace theboxes the full length of their sides to maintain the boxes in theirnormal position. Between the top bars 0 of the pedestals and the axleboxes I) are interposed cushions or springs c to provide aspring-support for said pedestals on the axle-boxes. The ends 0' of thepedestals are connected together by side bars cl to fornra frame D, ofwhich the pedestals O are an integral or component part, and whichconstitutes the truck-frame for the car. The side bars (Z may be singlebars; but I prefer a parallel or double bar form of same, as moreplainly shown in Fig. 8, and when these parallel bars (Z d are used theyare separated by interposed blocks (1 and the whole suitably screwed,bolted, or riveted together. Theseside bars are connected by endcross-bars or fenders d and intermediate cross bars (1 to give therequisite strength and stiffness to frameD for supporting thebrake-shoes E, their actuating mechanism 6, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) and anelectric motor G or analogous devices relating to the propulsion of thecar, as well as other appurtenances, like track brake-shoes,trackbrushes, sand-boxes, &c.

The electric motor G or like device is se= cured directly to the frameD. In the drawings one end of the motor is shown journale'd on the axleand the other on the frame D.

Through vertical openings in the pedestal ends 0 pass posts F, dependingfrom the sills a of the car-body, or said posts may pass between theinterval of the parallel side bars d d. In any case there is more orless play between the posts F and the openings in the frame D throughwhich said posts pass to admit of the frame D having a slight lateralmovement independent of the posts F, and consequently of the car-body,to conform to irregularities in the gage of the tracks. The lower ends fof posts F are suitably braced or supported, the outer posts beingconnected to braces H, the upper ends h of which are bolted to thecar-sills a and the lower ends 72. held to the post ends f by screwnutsW, and the inner posts being connected or braced by a truss-rod I, heldthereto by screw-nuts t.

Upon or surrounding the posts F are the usual car-springs K, the lowerends of which seat on frame D or on the pedestal ends 0. If desired,suitable caps and secondary cushions or springs k may be interposedbetween the ends of springs K and the frame D and sills a.

The lower open ends 0 of the pedestals O are preferably closed byacross-bar Z, screwed, bolted, or otherwise secured in position, so as tobe easily removable therefrom. When the side bars 61 of the frame D areseparate from and connected to the pedestal ends a, the latter arepreferably bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 6, and in the bifurcation is atransverse bar a for the ends of the parallel bars cl d to rest upon,the latter being preferably recessed at c to fit said transverse bars 0as more plainly indicated in Fig. 7. If desired, however, the pedestalsO and frame D may be formed in one piece, as indicated in Fig. 9.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the posts F have no connectionwith the axleboxes, or the latter are not in connection with any part ofthe truek-frame D or car-body; hence each axle is independent of theother and of frame D and independently conforms to the curves of theline of way; that the frame D, with the pedestals O, is not supportedfrom the car-body, but from the axle-boxes; hence said frame and allappurtenances located thereon are not subject to the vertical vibrationsof the car-body, which has in effect the usual spring-supports. As frameD has a slight transverse movement independent of the car-body, thelatter is not subject to the lateral movements of the truck-frame; hencethe car rides easier and the truck travels correspondingly. As the sides0' of the pedestals extend down to or below the bottom of theaxle-boxes, the frame sides (1 are located in a plane below that of theaxles hence ample space between the car-body and frame D is provided toadmit of securing the motor G directly to frame D, and all supplementaryframes depending from frame D for supporting the motor are avoided orunnecessary. Again, as the open ends 0 of the axle-box recesses in thepedestals O extend to the bottom of frame D, the latter is not continuedacross the bottom of the axle-boxes, but is broken or interv'aled atsaid parts, so that no part of frame D interferes with or is in the wayof the removal of the axles from the truck or car.

By removing the nuts or fastenings 7L2 and i from posts F the frame D,with axles, boxes, and wheels, and all appurtenances mounted on frame Dare easily and quickly removed from the car-body by raising the latter,and

or when a change of trucks is made from one style of car to anotheras,for instance, from a summer to a winter car, or revers'elyin l whichcase one set of trucks answers for different sets of cars.

By removing the cross-bars I from the lower open ends 0 of the pedestalsthe car-axles, with boxes and wheels, are removable from frame D withoutdismounting it, and this is done when it is desired to repair or replacethe axles, boxes, 01' wheels. In case an electric motor G or otherappliance is partly secured to the axles, such motor-connection is firstunshipped or released and the end of the motor hooked, tied, orotherwise temporarily fastened to the car, as indicated by dotted lines00, Fig. 3, when the axles, with boxes and wheels, are removed.

If desired, the frame D, with pedestals C, may be used in conjunctionwith a part 0, representing the usual form of pedestals, secured to thecar-sills a, as indicated in Fig. 5.

As it is evident that the construction and arrangement of the novelparts of my invention may be greatly varied without departing from thespirit of the invention,I do not limit myself to the same, as shown anddescribed. Thus, for instance, in some cases the pedestal-bar Z may bedispensed with. It will be noted that the pedestals O are a part of theframe D, or, in other words, no extra or separate pedestals secured tothe car or truck frame are needed or used; neither are lower yokes orsaddles embracing the bottompart of the axle-boxes necessary, as hasheretofore been used.

YVhat I claim is 1. A truck-frame. D, having component axle-box'pedestals or housings supported on and extending to or below the bottomof the car-axle boxes, in combination with a springsupported car-body,substantially as set forth.

2. In -eombination with a car-body A, a truck-frame D, having axle-boxpedestals or housings supported upon or depending from the axle-boxes,said pedestals having lower open ends and attachable and detachable barsI at said ends, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with the axle-boxes of a car, the frame D, havingaxle-box pedestals O, with lower open ends 0 extending down to thebottom sides of said frame, and the latter extending longitudinallybeyond the caraxles, substantially asset forth.

4. In a car, the frame D, having pedestals 0, supported on and extendingdown to or below the bottom of the axle-boxes, springs inserted betweensaid pedestals and boxes, and spring-supports for said car on saidframe, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of axle-boxesb, pedestals 0, supported thereon andhaving forked ends, transverse bars 0 in said forked ends, and frameside bars (1 d, having recesses 0 fitting bars 0 substantially as setforth.

6. In combination With a car-body and its running-gear axle-boxes, theframe D, having component yoke-shaped axle-box pedestals O, with loweropen ends 0 inner and outer posts F, connecting frame D and car body,carsprings surrounding said posts, braces H for the outer posts, and aseparate truss-rod I for the inner posts F, substantially as set forth.

'7. In combination with a car-body and its running-gear axle-boxes, theframe D, having pedestals O, with lower open ends supported on saidaxle-boxes, posts F and car-springs interposed between said frame D andcar-body, and braces for said posts, which braces do not extend acrossthe bottom of the axle-boxes, substantially as set forth.

8. In combination with a car-body and its running-gear axle-boxes, aframe D, having axle-box openings 0 supported on said boxes, springsbetween said frame D and car-body, supports for said springs, andattachable and detachable bars Z, for closing openings substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. BRILL. Witnesses:

GEo. R. BYINGTON, S. J. VAN STAVOREN.

